Ice making apparatus having rotational cutter

ABSTRACT

An ice making apparatus, including: a fixed cylinder; a drive shaft mounted to the fixed cylinder and rotated by a drive unit; a lower rotational plate mounted to the drive shaft; an upper rotational plate provided with an ice dropping hole and mounted to the upper end of the drive shaft; a fixed gear mounted to the outer circumference of the fixed cylinder; a rotational gear externally engaged with the fixed gear; a rotational shaft mounted to the rotational gear and extending upward through the lower rotational plate to a position above the ice dropping hole; and a rotational cutter mounted to the upper end of the rotational shaft and rotated to cut dropping ice into pieces, wherein the pieces of ice drop through the ice dropping hole and are distributed to the outside of the ice making apparatus by a centrifugal force of the lower rotational plate.

REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the priority benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0084782 filed on Aug. 31, 2010 and Korean Patent Application No. 10-2010-0084803 filed on Aug. 31, 2010, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates, in general, to an ice making apparatus and, more particularly, to an ice making apparatus configured to cut tubular ice produced by a refrigerant into pieces of ice having a predetermined size.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Generally, an ice making apparatus is an apparatus that makes ice by putting water in a plate, tube, cell or block-shaped ice making vessel and by reducing the temperature of the vessel or the ambient temperature of the vessel to a temperature lower than the freezing point of water, thereby causing the water in the vessel to freeze.

In the related art, to make ice using the ice making vessel, two methods have been used, a first method of removably placing the ice making vessel in a freezing place, such as a freezer compartment of a refrigeration cycle, or a second method of integrating the ice making vessel with an evaporator structure of the refrigeration cycle.

Of the two methods, the ice making method, in which the ice making vessel is integrated with the evaporator structure of the refrigeration cycle, is configured in such a way that, in a typical refrigeration cycle including a compressor for compressing a refrigerant to form high pressure hot refrigerant gas, an expansion valve for reducing the temperature and pressure of the condensed refrigerant and thereby promoting evaporation of the refrigerant, and an evaporator for making the refrigerant absorb heat and evaporate, the ice making vessel is integrated in a refrigerant evaporation structure and thereby freezes water to produce ice by reducing the temperature of water by evaporating the refrigerant.

Of the conventional ice making apparatuses integrated in the refrigeration cycle, the one most preferably used is shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a conventional tube-type ice making apparatus.

As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional tube-type ice making apparatus includes a cylindrical casing 10, in which a plurality of ice making tubes 12 are installed and a refrigerant flowing chamber is defined by upper and lower partition plates 10 a and 10 b and by the ice making tubes 12, a water distributing reservoir 11 with a distributor 11 a installed on an upper end of the casing 10 and supplying water to the respective ice making tubes 12, and an ice distributing tank 14 provided below a lower end of the casing 10 and distributing ice dropping from the respective ice making tubes 12 to outside of the casing 10.

Further, the ice distributing tank 14 is provided therein with an ice cutter 17 for cutting ice dropping from the ice making tubes 12 into pieces of ice having a predetermined size, an ice outlet 14 a for distributing the pieces of ice cut by the ice cutter 17 to the outside of the ice distributing tank 14, and a water storage reservoir 15 for storing therein water dropping from the ice making tubes 12 after separating the water from pieces of ice using a screen plate 16. The ice cutter 17 is rotatably held by a rotational shaft 17 a, and the water storage reservoir 15 is connected to the water distributing reservoir 11 by a return pipe 19 having a circulation pump 18.

The operation of the conventional tube-type ice making apparatus 1 having the above-mentioned construction is as follows: the refrigerant which has sequentially passed through a compressor, a condenser and an expansion valve that are not shown in FIG. 1 flows into the refrigerant flowing chamber 13 through a refrigerant inlet pipe 13 a provided in a lower part of the casing 10 and, at the same time, water flows down from the water distributing reservoir 11 into the respective ice making tubes 12. Therefore, ice is gradually generated and accumulated on locations around the inner surfaces of the respective ice making tubes 12 by evaporating the refrigerant and the evaporating refrigerant returns to the compressor through a refrigerant outlet pipe 13 b provided in an upper part of the casing 10, so that the ice making operation performed by evaporation of the refrigerant can be continuously performed. In the ice making operation, water which is not frozen in the ice making tubes 12 drops into the water storage reservoir 15 through the screen plate 16 and is resupplied to the water distributing reservoir 11 through the return pipe 19 by operation of the circulation pump 18.

When ice of a predetermined thickness has been formed in the ice making tubes 12 by the continuous ice making operation, part of the hot refrigerant gas flowing from the compressor to the condenser of the refrigeration cycle is introduced into the refrigerant flowing chamber 13 through the refrigerant outlet pipe 13 b. Therefore, ice can be removed from the respective ice making tubes 12 and the removed ice can be dropped into the ice distributing tank 14 by gravity and is cut into pieces of ice having a predetermined size by the rotating ice cutter 17. The pieces of ice are, thereafter, centrifugally distributed to the outside of the ice distributing tank 14 through the ice outlet 14 a. After the above-mentioned ice removing operation has finished, the refrigeration cycle is normally operated again to continue the ice making operation.

However, the above-mentioned conventional ice making apparatus is problematic in that the ice cutter can not neatly cut the ice to form good-looking pieces of ice, but forcibly strikes the ice to almost break it, so that the cut surfaces of the pieces of ice may be irregular.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Accordingly, the present invention has been made keeping in mind the above problems occurring in the related art, and the present invention is intended to propose an ice making apparatus which can quickly and neatly cut ice using a rotational cutter having a saw tooth shape.

In order to achieve the above object, according to one aspect of the present invention, there is provided an ice making apparatus having a rotational cutter, including: a vertically installed fixed cylinder; a drive shaft inserted into and held by the fixed cylinder and rotated by a drive unit; a lower rotational plate rotatably coupled to the drive shaft at a location above the fixed cylinder; an upper rotational plate having a circular shape and provided with an ice dropping hole, and mounted to an upper end of the drive shaft; a fixed gear mounted to an outside of the fixed cylinder; a rotational gear externally engaged with the fixed gear and rotated thereby; a rotational shaft mounted to the rotational gear so as to be rotated and extending upwards through the lower rotational plate to a location above the ice dropping hole; and a rotational cutter mounted to an upper end of the rotational shaft and rotated to cut ice that drops because of gravity, wherein the ice cut by the rotational cutter drops through the ice dropping hole and is centrifugally distributed to an outside of the ice making apparatus due to a centrifugal force of the lower rotational plate.

Here, the fixed gear may be an external gear mounted to an outer circumference of the fixed cylinder and externally engaged with the rotational gear, or may be an internal gear arranged to surround the fixed cylinder and internally engaged with the rotational gear.

Further, the drive unit may include: a motor arranged at a location around the upper rotational plate; and a drive gear rotated by the motor, wherein the upper rotational plate may be shaped as a spur gear engaged with the drive gear and thereby rotates the drive shaft.

Further, the drive unit may include: a driven gear mounted to a lower end of the drive shaft; a drive gear rotatably engaged with the driven gear; and a motor for driving the drive gear.

Further, the fixed cylinder may be provided with a bearing for rotatably supporting the drive shaft.

Further, the ice making apparatus may further include: a rotational cylinder provided at a location below the lower rotational plate, with a bearing provided in the rotational cylinder for rotatably holding the rotational shaft inserted into the rotational cylinder.

According to the embodiments of the present invention, the rotational cutter of the ice making apparatus can quickly and neatly cut dropping ice, thereby producing good-looking pieces of ice.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above and other objects, other advantages, and features of the present invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view of a conventional tube-type ice making apparatus;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an ice making apparatus having a rotational cutter according to a first embodiment of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the ice making apparatus of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an ice making apparatus having a rotational cutter according to a second embodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the ice making apparatus of FIG. 4.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Reference will now be made in greater detail to a preferred embodiment of the invention, an example of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The embodiment of the present invention described hereinbelow and shown in the accompanying drawings is provided for allowing those skilled in the art to more clearly comprehend the present invention and, accordingly, it should be understood that the scope and spirit of the present invention are not limited to the embodiment described hereinbelow. Further, it is to be noted that, when the functions of conventional elements and the detailed description of elements related with the present invention may make the gist of the present invention unclear, a detailed description of those elements will be omitted.

First Embodiment

FIG. 2 is a perspective view illustrating an ice making apparatus having a rotational cutter according to a first embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a side sectional view of the ice making apparatus of FIG. 2.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the ice making apparatus of the present invention includes a fixed cylinder 100, a drive shaft 200, a lower rotational plate 300, an upper rotational plate 400, a fixed gear 500, a rotational gear 600, a rotational shaft 700 and a rotational cutter 800.

First, the fixed cylinder 100 will be described hereinbelow.

The fixed cylinder 100 has a hollow cylindrical shape and is vertically installed by being rotatably inserted into the drive shaft 200 as will be described later herein.

In the present invention, it is preferred that a plurality of bearings b be installed in the fixed cylinder 100 and rotatably support the drive shaft 200.

Further, a support bracket s may be provided on the fixed cylinder 100 in such a way that the support bracket s is fixed to the casing as shown in the drawings.

Further, the drive shaft 200 is inserted into the fixed cylinder 100 and is rotated by a drive unit 900 which will be described later herein.

Both the lower rotational plate 300 and the upper rotational plate 400 are mounted to the drive shaft 200 in such a way that the two rotational plates 300 and 400 can be rotated along with the drive shaft 200.

Here, the drive shaft 200 is rotatably held by the plurality of bearings b installed in the fixed cylinder 100.

Further, the lower rotational plate 300 is placed above the fixed cylinder 100 and is mounted to the drive shaft 200. In other words, the drive shaft 200 passes through the lower rotational plate 300 and is fixed thereto, so that the lower rotational plate 300 can be rotated by the drive shaft 200.

The lower rotational plate 300 may have a circular disc shape and is fixedly mounted at the center thereof to the drive shaft 200 so that the lower rotational plate 300 can rotate relative to the fixed cylinder 100.

Further, the upper rotational plate 400 may have a circular disc shape and is fixedly mounted to the upper end of the drive shaft 200, with an ice dropping hole 420 formed through the upper rotational plate 400.

As shown in FIG. 3, the upper rotational plate 400 may be placed at a location just below a position from which tubular ice drops. The upper rotational plate 400 may be directly rotated by the drive unit 900 so as to drive the drive shaft 200.

Here, the drive unit 900 may include a motor 910 installed around the upper rotational plate and a drive gear 920 rotated by the motor 910. The upper rotational plate 400 may have a spur gear shape with teeth formed around the outside edge thereof so that the upper rotational plate 400 may be engaged with the drive gear 920.

In the present invention, the ice dropping hole 420 may be realized by a plurality of ice dropping holes.

Further, the fixed gear 500 is fixedly mounted around the outer surface of the fixed cylinder 100, so that the fixed gear 500 does not rotate, but is fixed.

As shown in the drawing, the fixed gear 500 may be realized by a spur gear-shaped external gear 520 mounted to the circumference of the fixed cylinder 100 and is externally engaged with a rotational gear 600 which will be described later herein, so that the rotational gear 600 can rotate and revolve around the circumference of the external gear 520.

Further, the rotational gear 600 is configured to engage with the fixed gear 500 in such a way that the rotational gear 600 can rotate and revolve around the fixed gear 500. In the present invention, at least one rotational gear 600 may be provided to correspond to the number of ice dropping holes 420.

The technical characteristic of the rotational gear 600 resides in that it does not rotate in a fixed position, but rotates along the outer circumference of the external gear 520 in a state in which the rotational gear 600 is externally engaged with the external gear 520. In other words, the rotational gear 600 is configured to rotate and revolve around the fixed cylinder 100.

Further, the rotational shaft 700 is mounted to the upper surface of the rotational gear 600 and rotates and revolves along with the rotational gear 600. The rotational shaft 700 passes through the lower rotational plate 300 and the upper end of the rotational shaft 700 extends upward through the ice dropping hole 420.

Here, a rotational cylinder 320 is fixed to the lower surface of the lower rotational plate 300 and the rotational shaft 700 axially passes through the rotational cylinder 320 in such a way that the rotational cylinder 320 can be rotated.

Due the above-mentioned construction, the rotational cylinder 320 can be rotated in response to rotation of the lower rotational plate 300 in a state in which the rotational cylinder 320 is fixed to the lower rotational plate 300, while both the rotational gear 600 and the rotational shaft 700 can be rotated around the outer circumference of the external gear 520 at the same time in response to rotation of the lower rotational plate 300.

In the present invention, it is preferred that bearings b be provided in the rotational cylinder 320 and rotatably support the rotational shaft 700.

Further, the rotational cutter 800 is mounted to the upper end of the rotational shaft 700 and is rotated to cut the ice that drops due to gravity.

The rotational cutter 800 may have a circular disc shape with saw teeth formed around the outer circumference of the cutter 800.

Here, two rotational cutters 800 may be arranged at locations above respective ice dropping holes 420 in such a way that the two cutters 800 are spaced apart from each other, so that the cutters 800 can neatly cut the dropping ice into pieces, and the pieces of ice can be efficiently distributed through the ice dropping holes 420.

Hereinbelow, operation of the ice making apparatus according to the present invention will be described.

When the upper rotational plate 400 is rotated by the drive unit 900, both the drive shaft 200 and the lower rotational plate 300 that are operated in conjunction with the upper rotational plate 400 can be rotated.

Here, the drive shaft 200 is rotated in a state in which it is held in the fixed cylinder 100.

In the above state, both the rotational shaft 700 and the rotational cylinder 320 which are mounted to the lower rotational plate 300 can rotate and revolve around the drive shaft 200 along with the lower rotational plate 300. Here, the rotational gear 600 mounted to the lower end of the rotational shaft 700 is rotated around the outer circumference of the external gear 520 in a state in which the rotational gear 600 is externally engaged with the external gear 520.

Therefore, the rotational gear 600 rotates and revolves along the outer circumference of the external gear 520 and the rotation of the rotational gear 600 is transmitted to the rotational cutter 800 through the rotational shaft 700, so that the rotational cutter 800 can be rotated.

In other words, both the upper rotational plate 400 and the lower rotational plate 300 can be rotated at the same time around the center of the drive shaft 200, and the rotational cutter 800 can be rotated and cuts the dropping ice into pieces of ice, and the pieces of ice drop onto the lower rotational plate 300 through the ice dropping hole 420 and can be centrifugally distributed from the upper surface of the lower rotational plate 300 to the outside through an ice outlet provided in a side of the casing.

Second Embodiment

FIG. 4 is a perspective view illustrating an ice making apparatus having a rotational cutter according to a second embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a side sectional view of the ice making apparatus of FIG. 4.

In the second embodiment, the general shape of the ice making apparatus remains the same as in the first embodiment, but the drive unit 900 and the fixed gear 500 are altered. Those elements common to both the first embodiment and the second embodiment will thus carry the same reference numerals and further explanation is thus omitted.

The drive unit 900 may include a driven gear 930, a drive gear 940 and a motor 950, and may be mounted to the lower end of the drive shaft 200. In other words, the driven gear 930 is mounted to the lower end of the drive shaft 200 and the drive gear 940 is externally engaged with the driven gear 930, and the drive gear 920 is driven by the motor 910.

Further, the fixed gear 500 may be configured in the form of an internal gear 540 which is arranged around the fixed cylinder 100. Described in detail, the internal gear 540 has an annular structure with teeth formed along the inner circumference of the internal gear 540, and the fixed cylinder 100 is fixedly installed inside a casing in such a way that the fixed cylinder 100 extends through the center of the internal gear 540.

Therefore, the rotational gear 600 can rotate and revolve in a state in which it is engaged with internal teeth of the internal gear 540.

Hereinbelow, operation of the above-mentioned ice making apparatus according to the second embodiment will be described.

When the drive shaft 200 is rotated by the drive force of the motor 950 which is transmitted thereto sequentially through the drive gear 940 and the driven gear 930, both the lower rotational plate 300 and the upper rotational plate 400 operated in conjunction with the drive shaft 200 can be rotated at the same time.

In the above state, the drive shaft 200 is rotated in a state in which it is held in the fixed cylinder 100.

Further, both the rotational shaft 700 and the rotational cylinder 320 which are installed in conjunction with the lower rotational plate 300 rotate and revolve around the drive shaft 200 along with the lower rotational plate 300. Here, the rotational gear 600 mounted to the lower end of the rotational shaft 700 can be rotated along the inner circumference of the internal gear 540 in a state in which the rotational gear 600 is engaged with the internal teeth of the internal gear 540.

Therefore, the rotational gear 600 rotates and revolves along the inner circumference of the internal gear 540 and the rotation of the rotational gear 600 is transmitted to the rotational cutter 800 through the rotational shaft 700, so that the rotational cutter 800 can be rotated.

Accordingly, the upper rotational plate 400, the lower rotational plate 300 and the rotational cutter 800 can be rotated around the drive shaft 200 and, at the same time, the rotational cutter 800 is rotated and cuts dropping ice into pieces, and the pieces of ice drop onto the lower rotational plate 300 through the upper rotational plate 400 and are, thereafter, centrifugally distributed from the lower rotational plate 300 to the outside of the casing through an ice outlet provided in a side of the casing.

Although a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described for illustrative purposes, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications, additions and substitutions are possible, without departing from the scope and spirit of the invention as disclosed in the accompanying claims. 

1. An ice making apparatus having a rotational cutter, comprising: a vertically installed fixed cylinder; a drive shaft inserted into and held by the fixed cylinder and rotated by a drive unit; a lower rotational plate rotatably coupled to the drive shaft at a location above the fixed cylinder; an upper rotational plate having a circular shape and provided with an ice dropping hole, and mounted to an upper end of the drive shaft; a fixed gear mounted to an outside of the fixed cylinder; a rotational gear externally engaged with the fixed gear and rotated thereby; a rotational shaft mounted to the rotational gear so as to be rotated and extending upwards through the lower rotational plate to a location above the ice dropping hole; and a rotational cutter mounted to an upper end of the rotational shaft and rotated to cut ice that drops because of gravity, wherein the ice cut by the rotational cutter drops through the ice dropping hole and is centrifugally distributed to an outside of the ice making apparatus due to a centrifugal force of the lower rotational plate.
 2. The ice making apparatus having the rotational cutter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fixed gear comprises: an external gear mounted to an outer circumference of the fixed cylinder and externally engaged with the rotational gear.
 3. The ice making apparatus having the rotational cutter as set forth in claim 2, wherein the drive unit comprises: a motor arranged at a location around the upper rotational plate; and a drive gear rotated by the motor, wherein the upper rotational plate is shaped as a spur gear engaged with the drive gear and thereby rotates the drive shaft.
 4. The ice making apparatus having the rotational cutter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fixed gear comprises: an internal gear arranged to surround the fixed cylinder and internally engaged with the rotational gear.
 5. The ice making apparatus having the rotational cutter as set forth in claim 4, wherein the drive unit comprises: a driven gear mounted to a lower end of the drive shaft; a drive gear rotatably engaged with the driven gear; and a motor for driving the drive gear.
 6. The ice making apparatus having the rotational cutter as set forth in claim 1, wherein the fixed cylinder is provided with a bearing for rotatably supporting the drive shaft.
 7. The ice making apparatus having the rotational cutter as set forth in claim 1, further comprising: a rotational cylinder provided at a location below the lower rotational plate, with a bearing provided in the rotational cylinder for rotatably holding the rotational shaft inserted into the rotational cylinder. 